Ransom of Love (16 page)

There was light laughter and some words of agreement.

“Benjamin,” Green said, “I want these folks to get a real good look at you. Remove your shirt.”

Benjamin’s backbone stiffened, but he knew he dare not disobey. As he was unbuttoning his shirt, Green said, “Something else about this choice young slave, folks—he speaks, reads, and writes English excellently. He was educated by the British owners of the cattle ranch where he was raised.”

Voices oohed and ahhed as Benjamin removed his shirt and held it in his hand. His upper body glistened in the sun. He changed the shirt from one hand to the other, and even that slight movement caused his muscles to ripple and cord beneath his skin.

Thomas Green smiled and gestured toward Benjamin. “What do you think, folks? Look at those bulging, rock-hard muscles! Feast your eyes on those broad shoulders, the deep chest, and the slender waist! Don’t you wish you had a plantation full of men like this? You wouldn’t need so many, would you?”

There was laughter and a rumble of comments.

Suddenly Finn Colvin’s voice called out, “Well, all you plantation owners might as well back off right now. I’m going to have this one!”

Thomas Green reveled in Finn Colvin’s determination to purchase Benjamin. He smiled at Finn from the platform and said, “Well, Mr. Colvin, we will see if you are willing to outbid all the men here today who would like to have Benjamin on their plantations!” He turned to
the auctioneer. “All right, Clem. Let’s see how badly Mr. Colvin wants this young man.”

Before Clem Samson could speak up and ask what he was bid for Benjamin, Finn Colvin raised his hand and said, “I’ll bid 700 dollars!”

A surprised oooh! swept over the crowd.

Finn looked around and grinned triumphantly, knowing he had started the bidding a hundred dollars higher than any male slave had gone for that morning.

Suddenly another plantation owner raised his hand and offered 725 dollars. Another raised it to 750 dollars. Colvin went to 775 dollars.

Clem Samson held the gavel in his hand at the podium, looked around, and said, “Do I hear 800?”

Another man shouted, “Eight hundred!”

Another raised it 25 dollars.

“Eight hundred-twenty five is the bid! Do I hear 850?”

Finn Colvin gave the signal, and Clem said, “Mr. Colvin raises it to 850 dollars! Do I hear 875?”

As another man offered 875 dollars, Catherine Johnson said to her husband, “Zack, you haven’t bid. Wouldn’t that young man be an asset to our plantation?”

“That he would, sweetheart. Without a doubt.”

“I agree, Pa,” Dan said. “He’s a likable fellow, too.”

“You haven’t bought any other slaves, Zack,” said Catherine. “Certainly you could give Finn a tussle.”

“Yes, Papa,” spoke up Angeline. “Wouldn’t you like to have Benjamin? He’s well educated, Mr. Green said. He could help educate our slaves.”

Finn Colvin gave a signal that he would go to 900 dollars, then having heard the conversation going on behind him, he said, “C’mon, Zack. How about a tussle? Isn’t that boy worth bidding for?”

Zack did not reply.

Finn turned around when he heard Clem Samson say that another had raised his bid to 925 dollars. Finn raised to 950 dollars.

Lowering his voice so the Colvins couldn’t hear him, Zack huddled close to his family and said, “I’ve intended to bid on Benjamin all along. I’m just waiting till the plantation owners with less wealth drop out of the bidding.” Then with a stubborn set to his jaw, he added, “I’m not going to let Finn have that fine young man. He would work him to death. I’m going to outbid Finn no matter how high the price.”

Dan smiled and shook his fist in exultation, then whispered, “Good for you, Pa!”

Charles Moore leaned close and said, “Zack, you must be going to take Finn’s challenge.”

“You might say that, Charles.”

“Good!” said Charles, then turned to his family and nodded with a smile.

As the bids by the other plantation owners kept going up 25 dollars at a time, Finn Colvin laughed as he kept raising his bid.

By the time the bid for Benjamin was 1,025 dollars, the last of the plantation owners except for Finn Colvin had dropped out. Colvin jabbed his elbow into Martha’s ribs and said, “Well, I told ’em, didn’t I? That pile of muscles is going to work on my plantation!”

Auctioneer Clem Samson was saying, “Going … going … for one thousand and twenty-five dollars—!”

Zack Johnson shouted, “Mr. Samson, I bid eleven hundred dollars!”

Applause broke out in the crowd.

Finn’s smile died on his lips. He turned around and said, “Don’t get cute with me, Zack.”

“You want to pay more than eleven hundred, Finn? Raise the bid.”

Colvin’s cheeks flushed. Whipping his head around, he raised his hand and shouted, “Twelve hundred!”

“Mr. Colvin bids twelve hundred,” said Samson. “Going for one thousand two hundred dollars … going … going …”

“Thirteen hundred!” called Zack Johnson.

There was more applause, punctuated with cheers.

Colvin’s head whipped around. Fixing Zack with malevolent eyes, he said, “You won’t be able to do it.”

Zack gave him a bland look. “The bid is thirteen hundred. If you’re going to raise it, you’d better hurry.”

Clem Samson was already saying, “Going for thirteen hundred! Going … going …”

“Fourteen hundred!” shouted Colvin.

“Fifteen hundred!” Zack shouted.

Benjamin let a slight smile curve his lips when he saw Dan Johnson pat his father on the shoulder, then look toward him. When their eyes met, Benjamin’s smile broadened and Dan nodded, a look of confidence in his eyes.

“Sixteen hundred!” Finn yelled.

The disapproval of the crowd was loud and clear. Everyone waited with bated breath for Zack Johnson to top it.

Thomas Green could hardly believe the price for Benjamin. He put his gaze on Zack Johnson, as did everyone else.

Zack waited until Clem Samson said, “Going … going … for one thousand six hundred dollars …” then he raised his hand and shouted, “Seventeen hundred!”

Benjamin’s heart started to pound.

Finn Colvin turned around and set fierce eyes on Zack. His cheeks were aflame. “Have you lost your mind?” he said.

“Have you lost yours?” came the crisp reply.

George and Edward Colvin stared at Zack in utter disbelief. Their father had never paid more than nine hundred dollars for a slave. And Zack Johnson was not backing off. How high would their father go to own the muscular young slave on the block?

Dan Johnson took hold of his mother’s hand as both of them kept their eyes on Zack. Alexander took hold of his sister’s hand.
Angeline looked at him as if he was the one who had lost his mind. Alexander had not held her hand since they were small children.

Looking into his eyes, she said, “Are you all right?”

Alexander looked down at their clasped hands and grinned. “Uh-huh. I’m just nervous. I thought you might be, too.”

Angeline grinned back. “You’re right. I am.”

Finn Colvin called loudly, “I bid seventeen hundred and fifty!”

Benjamin’s mouth felt like a sandpit again. Sweat beaded his brow. How long would this go on? Already he liked Dan Johnson very much, and he was liking Dan’s father better every minute.

W
HILE
F
INN
C
OLVIN’S ANTAGONISTS
voiced their disapproval, Zack called out, “Clem, I bid eighteen hundred!”

The jeers and boos turned into cheers, whistles, and applause.

Finn Colvin turned around with teeth bared and eyes blazing. “What are you doin’, Zack?”

“Bidding for a slave I want to buy. What are you doing?”

“Don’t let him bother you, Pa!” George said.

“Yeah, Pa!” Edward piped up. “Go on and raise the bid!”

Finn held Zack’s gaze for a few seconds, then heard Clem’s voice calling out acceptance of the bid. He sighed once then shouted, “Eighteen-fifty!”

Zack stood up. “Clem, I bid twenty-five hundred!”

Gasps rippled throughout the crowd, followed by wordless sounds of approval that ended in more shouts, whistles, and applause.

“Twenty-five hundred is the bid!” Samson called above the noise. “Do I hear twenty-six?”

Thomas Green could not believe it. He had never known of a slave to sell for a price anywhere near that amount.

All eyes went to Finn Colvin, who had jumped to his feet. His sons stood beside him, watching his face.

Finn looked at Zack Johnson with hate-filled eyes and swore at him, saying, “No slave is worth that kind of money! You can have him!”

Clem Samson’s voice was heard above the clamor as he slammed his gavel down with a bang and shouted, “Sold for two thousand five hundred dollars to Mr. Zack Johnson!”

A wild roar erupted from the crowd as they leaped to their feet and applauded.

Benjamin’s knees were watery as he put his shirt on and began buttoning it up.

While the crowd’s enthusiastic roar rocked the arena, Finn Colvin took Martha by the arm and said, “Let’s go pay for the slaves we bought and take ’em home.”

As they started down the steps of the bleachers, Finn looked back at Zack, who was talking to the Moores, and set fierce eyes on him.

Charles noticed him and said, “Zack, I think Finn wants to say something to you.”

When Zack looked at him, Finn ejected a string of profanity, calling him several vile names, then turned and headed on down the stairs.

Zack bristled and started to move that way, but he felt Catherine’s hand grip his arm. He paused to look at her.

“Don’t do it, Zack,” she said.

“He swore in front of you and my daughter! He needs his mouth smacked!”

“Honey, it would only make you look bad after all this hassle over Benjamin. It’s all right. Angeline and I are fine.”

Dan moved up beside his mother. “How about I smack his mouth, Pa? It won’t make me look as bad.”

“Please, Dan,” said Catherine. “Just let it go.”

“How about if a lowly sixteen-year-old belted his chops for him, Mom?” Alexander said.

“No. It would just make things worse than they are. I appreciate the men in this family looking out for the honor of their ladies, but please … no violence.”

When the Colvins reached the ground, Martha paused and looked back at the Johnsons. Her face was crimson with emotion. Setting her eyes on Catherine, she mouthed the words,
I’m sorry
.

Catherine nodded and gave her a warm smile.

Just then, Zack took Catherine’s hand and said, “Let’s all go
down and talk to Benjamin. It’ll be a few minutes before we can get to one of the cashier’s windows.”

“Oh, let’s do, Papa!” said Angeline. “I want to meet him!”

“Me too,” said Alexander.

Before they could descend the bleachers, the Moores stepped up to them.

“Zack,” Charles said, “we are so relieved that Finn didn’t get that fine young man. You outsmarted him is what you did.”

Dorena moved up close to Priscilla and whispered, “Would it be all right if I speak to Mr. Johnson?”

“Of course, honey.” Priscilla addressed Zack by saying, “Mr. Johnson, Dorena asked for permission to speak to you. I told her it would be all right.”

“Certainly, Dorena,” Zack said, smiling at the lovely slave girl.

“Mr. Johnson, as a black girl and a slave, I want to thank you for caring enough to pay such a high price to keep Mr. Colvin from getting that young man. What you did means very much to me.”

“Thank you for expressing your appreciation, Dorena. I’m glad I was able to do it.”

She smiled sweetly and said, “I am sure he will work hard for you, sir. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he was scared Mr. Colvin was going to get him.”

“I can understand that. Benjamin heard enough before he went on the block this morning to know what kind of man Colvin is. If I had been in Benjamin’s place, I would have been frightened, too.”

“I wish all slave owners were as nice as you and Master Charles, sir.”

Charles Moore smiled at Dorena and said, “Well, little lady, if you will accompany this nice man and his family to a cashier’s booth, I’ll pay for the husband and wife that I made top bid on today and we can all go home.”

Dorena curtsied. “Let us go, Master Charles.”

When the Moores passed by, Benjamin’s line of sight focused on lovely Dorena, and he instantly found himself fascinated by her beauty and the warmth of her smile.

As they moved away, Benjamin’s attention was drawn to the Johnsons who had not yet reached the auction block. They were stopped by two other plantation owners and their wives who were lauding Zack Johnson for winning his bidding war.

When the two couples turned away, and the Johnsons stepped up to the block, Thomas Green was ushering Benjamin down the steps toward them.

“Mr. Johnson,” Green said, smiling, “You’ve made an excellent purchase. I know Benjamin will work hard for you.”

“He looks to be a fine young man,” Zack said.

At that instant, Jim Lynch called to Green and hurried toward him. “Mr. Green, please excuse the intrusion, but one of the slaves who has been sick has gotten worse; I need you to come and take a look at him.”